By Jeff Bugher
Cam Newton was crying on ESPN, saying nobody wanted to see Boise in the playoffs. Ryan Clark said that teams will be able to show that they belong. He ended by saying that if people don’t want to see Boise, don’t watch the game.
The Mountain West Conference finally has a legitimate opportunity to send a team (Boise State) to the football playoffs. A combination of strong performance, being ranked and winning the MWC Championship sealed the deal for the Broncos. Most importantly, this year’s newly expanded 12-team format made a huge difference.
Expanded Playoff Access: Equity
I interviewed MWC Commissioner Gloria Nevarez before the season about expanded playoff access and equity; here’s what she told me. What about equity for conferences like the Mountain West, where a shot at the College Football Playoffs (CFP) seemed out of reach in the past? Nevarez responded, “Equity of access, the new expanded playoff has access for all FBS teams but top five conference champions period, from the universe of nine FBS leagues get an automatic qualifier into that playoff, and then the seven remaining teams are selected at large.” She gave a lot of credit to the advocacy of conference leadership, stating, “As long as we have opportunity and access, which is what our league has been out in front, Craig Thompson specifically advocating for, then we can play; we have something to play for. It makes our championship relevant; it makes our regular season important.” Nevarez also pointed out the scheduling by Mountain West coaches, noting, “If you look at our non-conference schedules this year, our coaches are swinging for the fences.”